It takes the combined efforts of 2 skaters to earn 3 spots for a nation, so the hopes do fall on more than just the National Champ. Bottom line, Kimmie, Bebe, and Ashley failed to get 3 spots, so did Alissa and Rachael, and so did Mirai and Rachael. If anything, I think it hurt Mirai even more because the USFSA saw that she really had the potential to medal at last season's Worlds after winning the SP and she crumbled to 7th place overall. Flatt was never in a position to medal there, so perhaps her failure is not as noticeable? I think it's safe to say that going from 1st to 7th (11th in the LP) is considered a bigger disappointment than going from 6th to 9th. Nagasu and Flatt are still young and I don't think what they have done in their short pasts necessarily defines their careers as skaters on the senior level.

I doubt it was really terrific for Flatt's career to finish 9th as national champion. Especially after finishing 7th at the Olympic games even with two solid programs. Overall, I think Mirai came out looking better last year. Too bad she couldn't build on that this year. Oh well. There's always next year.

I agree that Mirai and Rachael still have time to make a splash and as Mirai said "it's not like my career is over."

Heck, if Alissa managed keep going to win the GPF and a second national title than why not Mirai?

I doubt it was really terrific for Flatt's career to finish 9th as national champion. Especially after finishing 7th at the Olympic games even with two solid programs. Overall, I think Mirai came out looking better last year. Too bad she couldn't build on that this year. Oh well. There's always next year.

Eh, both were relative disappointments, but given that Nagasu was 4th at the Olympics, going from 1st in the short to 7th overall with an 11th place LP? I have to say that I think that ranks.

Eh, both were relative disappointments, but given that Nagasu was 4th at the Olympics, going from 1st in the short to 7th overall with an 11th place LP? I have to say that I think that ranks.

My point was that Mirai came out of last year looking like the better skater and the better hope for the future.

The great disappointment was the both Mirai and Rachael showed how capable they were of winning that 3rd spot back with their Olympic skates.

Rachael could have done better than 7th, with Joannie out of the picture and Yuna and Miki and others not skating their best. And Mirai of course had an amazing opportunity to the medal but she freaked. Nerves and post-Olympic fatigue got in the way. They're only human.

If they had skated better the third spot would have been a cinch.

I think if Alissa and Rachael skate well the third spot is a cinch too. All we can do is wish them good luck.

My point was that Mirai came out of last year looking like the better skater and the better hope for the future.

To whom exactly? I saw Mirai and Rachael as being on pretty equal footing based on their results. What has always stood in Nagasu's way are those pesky UR/downgraded jumps. That is more her Achilles' heel than it is Flatt's and when you don't fully rotate your jumps, you are screwed under COP. On top of that, for Nagasu to now be making clumsy, silly mistakes on her spins of all things, when that is supposed to be her biggest strength, she is just carelessly giving up precious points to the rest of the field.

To whom exactly? I saw Mirai and Rachael as being on pretty equal footing based on their results. What has always stood in Nagasu's way are those pesky UR/downgraded jumps. That is more her Achilles' heel than it is Flatt's and when you don't fully rotate your jumps, you are screwed under COP. On top of that, for Nagasu to now be making clumsy, silly mistakes on her spins of all things, when that is supposed to be her biggest strength, she is just carelessly giving up precious points to the rest of the field.

First of all, I'm talking about last year and not this year. Spins were not an issue for her last year. There is no question that Mirai did not live up to expectations this year.

Maybe you thought Rachael and Mirai were equal. But for a lot of people, her fourth place Olympic finish raised huge expectations. Expectations for Rachael went down. Mirai got way more votes on polls on this forum and other forums and icenetwork than Rachael did on the question of who would win the national championship.

Personally, I still expect more from Mirai in the future. Rachael gets UR about as often as Mirai does. And with Rachael's weak spins, I rather think it's her that can't get ahead under COP.

But that is just my personal feelings. The reality on the ground is that both Mirai and Rachael have to prove that they can break out from middle-of-the-packdom.

If that's true re: Nagasu, that's partially because most people thought Flatt wouldn't have much of a future. Most people expect to see Nagasu attempting to make Sochi, whereas Flatt seems much more "one season at a time." I agree that they should've been able to get three spots (that they didn't was a huge surprise to me)

If that's true re: Nagasu, that's partially because most people thought Flatt wouldn't have much of a future. Most people expect to see Nagasu attempting to make Sochi, whereas Flatt seems much more "one season at a time." I agree that they should've been able to get three spots (that they didn't was a huge surprise to me)

that's partly why but that's not the only reason.

In any case, turns out it was Flatt that came out ahead with her perserverence and hard work and I hope for the best for her at worlds. I'm also glad that we'll get to see her new SP again and I hope the international judges receive it well.

I didn't realize how down and out she was until I watched that NBC segment. I knew Wagner was crushed from coming so close, but I figured Czisny knew she was out of the running anyway after her SP and accepted that she wouldn't be an Olympian. I guess I was wrong.

The three of them were the podium at Nationals for at least 3 years. You didn't know that?

Originally Posted by Lavender

Okay Joesitz. Whatever u say.

Jennifer Krik was a wonderful skater. She had neat and tidy jumps, like Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski, rather than big ones. She was able to develop a distinctive and eye-pleasing style, best shown in her routine to the Chicago soundtrack.

Kirk made the Nationals podium only once, a bronze in 2004. But she went to Worlds twice, because in 2005 bronze medalist Kimmie Meissner was too young. Jenny had bad luck at Worlds, being sick both times. If I remember correctly, in 2004 she was so sick she had to withdraw after the short program.

Her career was cut short by an eating disorder just as she was coming into her own.

Jennifer Krik was a wonderful skater. She had neat and tidy jumps, like Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski, rather than big ones. She was able to develop a distinctive and eye-pleasing style, best shown in her routine to the Chicago soundtrack.

Kirk made the Nationals podium only once, a bronze in 2004. But she went to Worlds twice, because in 2005 bronze medalist Kimmie Meissner was too young. Jenny had bad luck at Worlds, being sick both times. If I remember correctly, in 2004 she was so sick she had to withdraw after the short program.

Her career was cut short by an eating disorder just as she was coming into her own.

I think her issues at worlds/competitions had more to do with the eating disorder than the "flu" so many skaters always get right before they bomb.